PREM team news: Also-rans roll the dice with eye-catching changes

Following a Test window, the narrative around Gallagher PREM team news is dominated by which England players have been selected by their clubs and which have been given their mandatory one-week off. And heading into what PREM Rugby have framed ‘The Big Weekend Bonanza’, this week hasn’t been any different.

However, with regards to one England international and another England hopeful, it’s a change of position that has caught the eye. Injuries to key players have necessitated a bit of lateral thinking from Harlequins and Sale, who can afford to experiment given the fear of relegation has been removed and the play-off places are beyond them.

Shorn of frontline centres, Luke Northmore (calf) and Oscar Beard (shoulder), and also missing Ben Waghorn (knee), Harlequins have pushed Cadan Murley into midfield to play alongside Byrn Bradley against Bristol at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

Murley, who started the last two rounds of the Six Nations, has played almost all his rugby exclusively on the wing, starting just two games at 13 for the quarters, the last over six years ago.

Both of those games – away to Sale Sharks and at home to London Irish, midway through the 2019/20 season – ended in defeats, although Murley did score against the Exiles.

Meanwhile, former Harlequins man Nathan Jibulu, who has ben earmarked as potential England hooker of the future, has been selected at openside for Sale against reigning champions Bath at the CorpAcq Stadium on Sunday.

In terms of starts, it is a completely alien position for the former England U20 international at senior club level.

Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson’s options there are limited due to injuries to the Curry twins. Ben Curry is out for the season after undergoing his second hamstring operation, while Tom Curry is sidelined again with a calf issue.

Gallagher PREM Round 12: Weekend team news:

Friday 27 March
Newcastle Red Bulls v Exeter Chiefs – Kingston Park, 7.45pm

Newcastle Red Bulls: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Alex Hearle, 12 Rhys Beeckmans, 11 Harrison Obatoyinbo, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz; 1 Adam Brocklebank, 2 George McGuigan (captain), 3 Richard Palframan, 4 Oscar Usher, 5 Adam Scott, 6 Reuben Parsons, 7 Tom Christie, 8 Ollie Leatherbarrow.

Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Connor Hancock, 18 Murray McCallum, 19 Freddie Clarke, 20 Tom Gordon, 21 James Elliott, 22 Ben Healy, 23 Oli Spencer.

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Olly Woodburn; 14 Paul Brown-Bampoe, 13 Nick Lilley, 12 Will Rigg, 11 Campbell Ridl; 10 Harvey Skinner, 9 Stephen Varney; 1 Scott Sio, 2 Jack Yeandle (c), 3 Jimmy Roots, 4 Rusi Tuima, 5 Andrea Zambonin, 6 Tom Hooper, 7 Ross Vintcent, 8 Greg Fisilau.

Replacements: 16 Julian Heaven, 17 Ethan Burger, 18 Bachuki Tchumbadze, 19 Lewis Pearson, 20 Finn Worley Brady, 21 Tom Cairns, 22 Will Haydon-Wood, 23 Dan John.

Saturday 28 March
Gloucester Rugby v Leicester Tigers – Villa Park, 1pm

Gloucester Rugby: 15 Ben Redshaw, 14 Will Joseph, 13 Max Llewellyn, 12 Seb Atkinson (C), 11 Ollie Thorley, 10 Charlie Atkinson, 9 Caolan Englefield; 1 Val Rapava Ruskin, 2 Jack Innard, 3 Afo Fasogbon, 4 Arthur Clark, 5 Matias Alemanno, 6 Deian Gwynne, 7 Lewis Ludlow, 8 Jack Clement.

Replacements: 16 Seb Blake, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Ciaran Knight, 19 Freddie Thomas, 20 Will Trenholm, 21 Rhys Price, 22 George Barton, 23 Josiah Edwards-Giraud

Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Gabriel Hamer-Webb, 13 Will Wand, 12 Orlando Bailey, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Billy Searle, 9 Jack van Poortvliet; 1 Nicky Smith, 2 Jamie Blamire, 3 Joe Heyes, 4 Hanro Liebenberg, 5 Ollie Chessum (c), 6 Joaquin Moro, 7 Hamish Watson, 8 Olly Cracknell.

Replacements: 16 Finn Theobald-Thomas, 17 Archie van der Flier, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Harry Wells, 20 Harry Palmer, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 James O’Connor, 23 Adam Radwan

Bristol Bears v Harlequins – Principality Stadium, 3.30pm

Bristol Bears: 15 Louis Rees-Zammit, 14 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 James Williams, 11 Aidan Boshoff, 10 Tom Jordan, 9 Harry Randall; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 3 George Kloska, 4 James Dun, 5 Joe Owen, 6 Steven Luatua, 7 Fitz Harding (C), 8 Santiago Grondona.

Replacements: 16 Tomas Gwilliam, 17 Jake Woolmore, 18 Lovejoy Chawatama, 19 George Taylor, 20 Benjamin Grondona, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 23 Gabriel Ibitoye

Harlequins: 15 Jamie Benson, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Cadan Murley, 12 Bryn Bradley, 11 Nick David, 10 Jarrod Evans, 9 Stu Townsend; 1 Simon Kerrod, 2 Jack Walker, 3 Joe Jones, 4 Kieran Treadwell, 5 Elliot Williams, 6 Guido Petti Pagadizábal, 7 Jack Kenningham, 8 Alex Dombrandt (C).

Replacements: 16 Sam Riley, 17 Will Hobson, 18 Pedro Delgado, 19 Jonny Green, 20 Zach Carr, 21 Seb Driscoll, 22 Jack Grant, 23 Sean Kerr

Saracens v Northampton Saints – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 6pm

Saracens: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Tobias Elliott, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Rotimi Segun, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Charlie Bracken; 1 Rhys Carre, 2 Theo Dan, 3 Marcus Street, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 5 Hugh Tizard, 6 Theo McFarland, 7 Andy Onyeama-Christie, 8 Tom Willis.

Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Eroni Mawi, 18 Marco Riccioni, 19 Nick Isiekwe, 20 Nathan Michelow, 21 Ivan Van Zyl, 22 Fergus Burke, 23 Max Malins

Northampton Saints: 15 George Furbank (c), 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Tom Litchfield, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 James Ramm, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Archie McParland; 1 Emmanul Iyogun, 2 Curtis Langdon, 3 Luke Green, 4 Tom Lockett, 5 Ed Prowse, 6 Josh Kemeny, 7 Tom Pearson, 8 Henry Pollock.

Replacements: 16 Craig Wright, 17 Danilo Fischetti, 18 Trevor Davison, 19 JJ Van Der Mescht, 20 Chunya Munga, 21 Callum Chick, 22 Jonny Weimann, 23 Fraser Dingwall

Sunday 29 March
Sale Sharks v Bath Rugby – CorpAcq Stadium, 3pm

Sale Sharks: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Rob du Preez, 12 Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11 Arron Reed, 10 George Ford, 9 Raffi Quirke; 1 Bevan Rodd, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 James Harper, 4 Ernst van Rhyn (c), 5 Ben Bamber, 6 Sam Dugdale, 7 Nathan Jibulu, 8 Jacques Vermeulen.

Replacements: 16 Ethan Caine, 17 Ralph McEachran, 18 Tye Raymont, 19 Dan du Preez, 20 Jos Gilmore, 21 Gus Warr, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Tom O’Flaherty

Bath Rugby: 15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Louie Hennessey, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Will Muir, 10 Santi Carreras, 9 Tom Carr-Smith; 1 Scott Kirk, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Vilikesa Sela, 4 Will Jeanes, 5 Ross Molony, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Ethan Staddon, 8 Miles Reid (c).

Replacements: 16 Kepueli Tuipulotu, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Ewan Richards, 21 Bernard van der Linde, 22 Chris Harris, 23 Alfie Barbeary